Mike
2 May 2000, 16:30
Marine Times 4/24/2000
Review May Make Going Recon Easier
By Gordon Lubold
The commandant of the Marine Corps wants to make life better for reconnaissance Marines.
Gen. James Jones has told Corps officials to "fix" the reconnaissance field, which is still feeling the effects of the military-wide downsizing 10 years ago and has remained undermanned despite high operational tempo. It is unclear exactly how the changes will affect individual "recon" Marines or their units. Promotion opportunities might increase for some, but, depending upon how the changes are made, they may decrease for others.
Either way, Corps officials hope the 26 recommendations now being reviewed by Jones will create a healthier, more stable community that can handle its increasing workload. And ultimately, operational tempo could come down for some of recon's overworked corporals and sergeants. Now, the 0321 reconnaissance military occupational specialty is manned at about 80 percent, a Marine official said.
The commandant "is concerned that, because of the changes that have occurred over the last decade, we do not have the robust reconnaissance community that we once had," said Lt. Col. Mike Robbins, head of the ground combat section for the Plans, Policy and Operations Section at Headquarters Marine Corps. "We want to get back to that; we want to get back to a community that is grown and nurtured."
To fix the shortfall, Jones will consider recommendations to lower the general technical, or GT, score required to get into the program from 110 to 105; standardize the Corps' two basic reconnaissance courses held in Virginia and California; and even shorten the 11-week course by 10 days.
About 64 Marines, E-1s through E-4s, may move laterally into the 0321 specialty, which would bolster officials' efforts to fully man the field.
Robbins said he could not talk specifically about the entire recommendations list until after Jones has approved them. But the effort to improve the program ultimately will be felt not only by the ground reconnaissance community that reports to the division commander, but also by the "deep" or force reconnaissance population, including aerial, sensor and radio recon, which reports to the Marine Expeditionary Force commander, Robbins said.
Improving recon is a work in progress, Robbins said, and will continue for some time. By Jones' order, the field should be stable by July 2004. The focus now, however, is to improve the lot for ground reconnaissance Marines -- those who report to the division commander -- who are selected for the basic reconnaissance course out of boot camp. Keeping enough of those entry-level Marines qualified for recon is a problem now, said Maj. Duffy White, the infantry occupational field manager at Marine Corps Headquarters.
"That's where we're hurting the most," he said. Recon was considered a "robust" specialty until the drawdown of the early 1990s limited the number of recon Marines. Then, in November 1998, the Corps began using a recruiting tool that "guaranteed an opportunity" for recruits to apply to the recon program. It also made 0321 a primary MOS.
The recruiting program has been somewhat successful. Just halfway through this fiscal year, it is filled to capacity with more than 230 men. However, problems with training and other difficulties is resulting in a shortage of qualified Marines entering the recon field.
Attrition at the basic reconnaissance course, which includes swimming, scuba and parachuting, is down to 30 percent from roughly 50 percent two years ago, White said. But that's still high, so Jones is looking at ways to further reduce attrition and put more qualified Marines into the recon field. Shortening the training schedule between recruit training, the school of infantry and the basic reconnaissance course, for example, is one possibility. Lowering the GT score, which would widen the pool of potentially qualified applicants, is another. Studies have shown that lowering the score would widen the pool of eligible Marines, but not have an appreciable impact on the quality of the applicants, who nonetheless have to pass the recon course anyway.
In coming months, officials also will address the problems for those sergeants and above who are now in the recon field. Tours with recon as an additional MOS are offered now, but only lance corporals and privates first class can make lateral moves into the recon field and change their primary MOS to recon. That improves promotion opportunities for the junior Marines while at the same time allowing E-5s and above to compete for promotion within the larger infantry population.
Ensuring that the Corps keeps more senior recon Marines happy is just as important, Robbins said, because of the valuable experience they provide. "It's not just the number of Marines, but we're also looking to the experience of Marines because of the unique requirements of the recon Marine," he said.
Review May Make Going Recon Easier
By Gordon Lubold
The commandant of the Marine Corps wants to make life better for reconnaissance Marines.
Gen. James Jones has told Corps officials to "fix" the reconnaissance field, which is still feeling the effects of the military-wide downsizing 10 years ago and has remained undermanned despite high operational tempo. It is unclear exactly how the changes will affect individual "recon" Marines or their units. Promotion opportunities might increase for some, but, depending upon how the changes are made, they may decrease for others.
Either way, Corps officials hope the 26 recommendations now being reviewed by Jones will create a healthier, more stable community that can handle its increasing workload. And ultimately, operational tempo could come down for some of recon's overworked corporals and sergeants. Now, the 0321 reconnaissance military occupational specialty is manned at about 80 percent, a Marine official said.
The commandant "is concerned that, because of the changes that have occurred over the last decade, we do not have the robust reconnaissance community that we once had," said Lt. Col. Mike Robbins, head of the ground combat section for the Plans, Policy and Operations Section at Headquarters Marine Corps. "We want to get back to that; we want to get back to a community that is grown and nurtured."
To fix the shortfall, Jones will consider recommendations to lower the general technical, or GT, score required to get into the program from 110 to 105; standardize the Corps' two basic reconnaissance courses held in Virginia and California; and even shorten the 11-week course by 10 days.
About 64 Marines, E-1s through E-4s, may move laterally into the 0321 specialty, which would bolster officials' efforts to fully man the field.
Robbins said he could not talk specifically about the entire recommendations list until after Jones has approved them. But the effort to improve the program ultimately will be felt not only by the ground reconnaissance community that reports to the division commander, but also by the "deep" or force reconnaissance population, including aerial, sensor and radio recon, which reports to the Marine Expeditionary Force commander, Robbins said.
Improving recon is a work in progress, Robbins said, and will continue for some time. By Jones' order, the field should be stable by July 2004. The focus now, however, is to improve the lot for ground reconnaissance Marines -- those who report to the division commander -- who are selected for the basic reconnaissance course out of boot camp. Keeping enough of those entry-level Marines qualified for recon is a problem now, said Maj. Duffy White, the infantry occupational field manager at Marine Corps Headquarters.
"That's where we're hurting the most," he said. Recon was considered a "robust" specialty until the drawdown of the early 1990s limited the number of recon Marines. Then, in November 1998, the Corps began using a recruiting tool that "guaranteed an opportunity" for recruits to apply to the recon program. It also made 0321 a primary MOS.
The recruiting program has been somewhat successful. Just halfway through this fiscal year, it is filled to capacity with more than 230 men. However, problems with training and other difficulties is resulting in a shortage of qualified Marines entering the recon field.
Attrition at the basic reconnaissance course, which includes swimming, scuba and parachuting, is down to 30 percent from roughly 50 percent two years ago, White said. But that's still high, so Jones is looking at ways to further reduce attrition and put more qualified Marines into the recon field. Shortening the training schedule between recruit training, the school of infantry and the basic reconnaissance course, for example, is one possibility. Lowering the GT score, which would widen the pool of potentially qualified applicants, is another. Studies have shown that lowering the score would widen the pool of eligible Marines, but not have an appreciable impact on the quality of the applicants, who nonetheless have to pass the recon course anyway.
In coming months, officials also will address the problems for those sergeants and above who are now in the recon field. Tours with recon as an additional MOS are offered now, but only lance corporals and privates first class can make lateral moves into the recon field and change their primary MOS to recon. That improves promotion opportunities for the junior Marines while at the same time allowing E-5s and above to compete for promotion within the larger infantry population.
Ensuring that the Corps keeps more senior recon Marines happy is just as important, Robbins said, because of the valuable experience they provide. "It's not just the number of Marines, but we're also looking to the experience of Marines because of the unique requirements of the recon Marine," he said.